Rhododendron Flame Azalea

Rhododendron Flame Azalea, winner of the Rhododendron of the Year Award of the American Rhododendron Society for the Mid-Atlantic, North East, North West, and South East regions.

Rhododendron Flame Azalea, native to North America, primarily to the Appalachian Mountains from Pennsylvania to Georgia, this upright, loosely branched deciduous shrub is usually found growing on woodland slopes and mountain balds in the wild. An award winner, it is a prized American shrub, considered one of the best and most beautiful, and an important parent of many deciduous azalea hybrids.

Rhododendron Flame Azalea gets its name from its unusually shaped brilliant red buds and funnel-shaped flowers in fiery shades—yellow, gold, orange, red, and even burgundy—that resemble candle flames as they open. The flowers grow up to 3 inches, larger than most natives, and bloom in loose trusses of 5 to 10 flowers in late spring to early summer, appearing as the leaves emerge or shortly afterwards.

Although slow to establish, the plant typically grows 4 to 8 feet tall and 8 to 10 feet wide. It prefers a protected location with dappled sunlight and acidic, sandy, well-drained soil, but it can tolerate a heavier sun location, if kept moist, and a humusy loam or silt soil, if well-drained.

This is an excellent shrub for naturalistic landscapes that will attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

Uses: Mixed Beds, Borders, Hedge Plant